Dispelling The Common Aging Myths

The Truth About Aging Myths

There’s one great big lie doing the rounds throughout society. It’s the one that says any life worth living is reserved solely for the young; common “wisdom” says that once you’re past the age of, say, thirty-five, then we hope you’ve achieved everything you wanted to accomplish because the exciting life is behind you. Of course, it’s not true. Life is as good or as bad as you can make it, regardless of how old you are. Below, we take a look at some of the common myths surrounding getting older and promptly blow them out of the water.

Aging Myths #1 Life Goes Downhill

Let’s start with the big one: that life simply deteriorates once you reach retirement age. While there is, admittedly, a few problems that most people have to contend with, the idea that life goes downhill assumes that life is a box of roses the rest of the time. In reality, life is always hard. At least in retirement, you have the chance to sit back and unwind, and can do all the things you always wanted to do because now you have time.

Aging Myths #2 You Can’t Function As You Used To

The way most people spoke of the elderly, you would assume that they’re not capable of living as a regular adult. This might have been true once upon a time, but it’s not true now; anyone who says otherwise seriously underestimates just what modern science is capable of. There are hearing products that can improve a person’s hearing; there are therapeutic techniques that improve mobility, and a many of the illnesses that blight older people can now be comfortably managed thanks to medicine.

Aging Myths #3 You’re Left Behind

The young are out having fun; the old are in their homes, watching television, or listening to the wireless, or something? If you’re not aged yourself, then you’d be surprised at just how social people are once they reach retirement age. People over the age of sixty-five are writing books, hosting shows, and doing impressive feats all across the board. If not that active, they’re at least getting out into town and chatting as part of their social groups.

Aging Myths #4 There’s Such a Thing as an “Old Person”

Now let’s think about this: is there even such a thing as an “old person”? If you have a chat with a group of twenty-five-year-olds, you’ll find that it’s not like every young person is a rock and roller. Most are more inactive than their elderly counterparts! That’s not to say that there’s anything wrong with that…just that being old is a state of mind. It’s not dictated by your age!

Aging Myths #5 You Can’t Have Fun

Let’s bust this myth wide open. You can have fun whatever age you are! Twenty-one or ninety-one, there’s always scope to burst out of your rut and do something that makes you feel like a school child. You’re never too old to do anything, and that’s definitely not a myth! You can beat these aging myths easily and live a full life.